Parliament lifts immunity of opposition leader
The decision was approved by the parliamentary plenary with 160 lawmakers voting in favor of lifting her immunity, 63 voting against and six abstaining.
The request stems from a lawsuit filed by businessman Achilleas Ntavelis, who accuses Konstantopoulou of defamatory statements made during a parliamentary session.
Addressing lawmakers before the vote, Konstantopoulou defended her remarks, arguing that she had stated factual information regarding the withdrawal of the operating license of the ANIMUS clinic by the Region of Thessaly.
She also criticized the proceedings, describing the vote as politically motivated. Konstantopoulou said the latest request marked approximately the tenth attempt to lift her parliamentary immunity and claimed she was being targeted because of her criticism of the government.
During her speech, the opposition leader linked the case to broader allegations involving the government's handling of the deadly Tempi rail disaster, the Contract 717 railway signaling project, the OPEKEPE agricultural payments agency and the wiretapping scandal. She accused the government of attempting to conceal responsibility in these cases, allegations that have been central to political disputes in Greece.
Under Greek law, members of parliament enjoy parliamentary immunity, which must be lifted by the legislature before criminal proceedings related to certain alleged offenses can move forward.
